


Prophets

by madlaw



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11209638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlaw/pseuds/madlaw
Summary: “I’m saying if it comes down to you or the mission, I’m always going to choose you.”





	Prophets

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in the aftermath of Root's fight with Martine in S04E05.

Walking out of Simon’s office, Shaw asks Finch the question pressing on her mind since he told her he left Root fighting Martine at the hotel.

“Any word from Root?”

Finch doesn’t answer directly, a veiled look on his face.  “It's going to be a long fight, but it must be won, at any cost.”  He doesn’t wait for her to respond, giving her one last glance as he walks away, leaving her standing in the hall.

She’s frozen momentarily, speechless even if Finch hadn’t scurried away.  She feels a heaviness expanding in her very core and her skin tingles with discomfort.  Everything fades away and time slows as she replays Finch’s words.

If her emotional quotient matched her intellect she’d recognize the tight feeling in her chest and the numb dreadful ache as shock.  But she does recognize her disgust and anger at Finch for being so cavalier about Root’s life.  She knows if it were Reese, Finch would already have her digging under every rock to find him.

But she’ll deal with him later.  Right now she needs to find Root.  She tries their comms but Root doesn’t answer.  She heads for the hotel; it’s her best chance of picking up a lead.

 

* * *

 

She walks into pandemonium; the police have the hotel sealed off, conducting a sweep, searching for the shooters.  Waste of time.  She knows Root and Martine are gone.  She sees Fusco interviewing a distraught hotel employee.  She pulls him into an alcove without warning.

“What the hell Shaw?!”  But he’s relieved to see her, suspecting the team’s involvement with the chaos.  “You want to tell me…you know what?  Never mind, I don’t want to know.”  She just rolls her eyes; she wasn’t intending on a chat.  “Any leads on Root or Martine?”  Fusco sighs.  “So far just a vague recollection from a witness they headed out the west exit, heading north.”  She’s gone before the last word’s echo fades out.  Fusco doesn’t get a chance to tell her Root’s wounded.

 

* * *

 

She knows Finch would have a conniption if he knew she was tracking Root with Samaritan sure to be on her trail in the form of Martine.  But she doesn’t care.  She blames herself for leaving Root without backup.  Once she told Reese about Simon she should’ve gone back to the hotel. 

She stops to think a minute.  Where would Root run if she was wounded with Martine on her tail?  Nothing comes immediately to mind, but she knows where Root _wouldn’t_ go; the subway or Shaw’s apartment.  But she _might_ go to one of the safe houses if she managed to ditch Martine.

She’s at least an hour behind them, but she’s not wounded or worried about someone chasing her so if she uses the shadow map, she might even be able to catch up to Root.  She’s going to need transportation. 

 

* * *

 

She wonders idly if she can talk Finch into keeping this motorcycle.  She’s sure he can clean up the paperwork.  Maybe she won’t even tell him.  She can get Root to take care of it.  It’s clean and cool and perfect for the city.

She skips the closest safe house because it’s too close to the hotel and she doubts Root would risk it.  She’s almost to the most likely one when she spots not Root, but Martine, exiting a pharmacy.  By the way she’s holding her left arm Root must’ve clipped her.  ‘That’s my girl.’

She decides she’s not leaving Martine to be able to keep tracking Root.  But she needs to make her move outside the range of any cameras and preferably in a way Martine doesn’t realize its Shaw.  What she wouldn’t give for her sniper rifle right now.  But maybe violence isn’t the only way.  She calls Fusco.  “I need you to put out a bolo.”

“Sure, heaven forbid the NYPD not be at your beck and call,” he snarks.  She ignores him and gives him Martine’s description and name, hanging up before he can protest any further.  She’s already spotted the next part of her plan.  Ten minutes later she pulls up next to a squad car.  The driver’s window is open and the cop’s woofing down a sandwich.

Shaw puts on her sexiest smile and locks eyes with the officer.  Some of his food slips out of his mouth when it falls open at the sight of Shaw.  She tries her best not to look grossed out.  “Uh…how can I help you Ms.?”

‘Ms.?’ Seriously?  “I think that woman over there was involved in the shooting at the hotel earlier.  I’d hate for her to shoot anyone else.”  He glances where Shaw’s pointing and she can see the anticipation in his eyes.  He’ll get to make an important collar and maybe get promoted out of patrol.  When he looks back, she’s already gone.

She observes from an alley up the street.  The officer calls for back-up.  He’s smarter than he looks.  Within five minutes Martine’s surrounded.  Shaw waits to see if she’s going to shoot her way out of the situation, but after a few seconds Martine surrenders.  No doubt her boss told her to stand down.  Shaw’s sure Samaritan will have her released shortly, but for now it gives her, and Root, a reprieve.

 

* * *

 

A few minutes later she’s at the safe house.  She approaches the door slowly; it’s partly open.  She slips through without opening it any further.  Root’s laying a short way inside, unconscious.  She checks for a pulse.  It’s weak but steady.  She puts her gun down and carries Root to the dining room table.

There’s a bullet lodged in her right shoulder and a graze on her right torso.  Shaw grabs the med kit and sets to removing the bullet.  Once her shoulder’s taken care of she cleans and dresses the graze.  She carries Root into the bedroom and lays her gently on the bed.

She thinks about leaving.  Root will be fine; there’s no need to stick around.  But something keeps her here.  She lies down, deciding to rest for a minute.  She falls asleep, Root’s voice waking her hours later.  “Sameen.”  She opens her eyes and looks over groggily.  She realizes she’s curled into Root, her arm resting over her stomach.  She doesn’t bother to snatch her arm back.  They’re beyond pretending.

“I knew you’d come for me.”

Shaw rolls her eyes tiredly.  “Whatever.  You’re going to be out of commission for a few days, so tell your Robot Overlord to scale back on the missions.  If She really needs something I’ll take care of it.”

Root smiles at her fondly, “She’s not…”

Shaw scowls, interrupting her.  “Yeah, yeah, not a robot; I know.”

“Is Simon okay?”

“Yeah, he’s fine.  Finch convinced him his polling was wrong.  He’s no longer on Samaritan’s hit list.”

Root sighs, “good.”

Shaw looks at her pensively.  “You know it wasn’t worth it.”  Root looks at her confused, not sure what she means.  “What wasn’t?”

“Risking your life and exposure to save Simon.  The damage was done.  Samaritan succeeded in rigging the election.  Saving him doesn’t change it.”  Root shrugs.  “She wanted me to protect him.”  Shaw scowls but tries to control her anger.  “Yeah, well what would She do if you died protecting one of these irrelevant numbers?  They’re irrelevant for a reason.  Without you Samaritan wins.”

“She’d find someone else.”

Shaw scoffs.  “There’s no one else like you Root.  Besides, if She loses you She loses me too.  I don’t trust Her.  I trust you.”

Root knows it’s true.  She also knows the chances of defeating Samaritan decrease drastically without Shaw; even if Shaw doesn’t.  But she never really thinks about her role in the war.  She’s always been disposable. 

It’s like Shaw can read her mind.  “You’re not replaceable Root.  You’re not interchangeable.  Not to Her and not to me.”  Root understands there are things Shaw will do only for her and not for the Machine, but it’s hard to wrap her mind around it.  “I’m not important Sam.  There’s so much more at stake.”

“You know Root for someone so governed by emotions you can be really clueless.”  Root’s taken aback by the intensity in Shaw’s eyes.

“You think I care who runs the world?  There will always be bad guys and people to shoot.  I only took this job because the ISA screwed me.  I’m not particularly committed to Finch or his Machine.  I’d rather kill the villains than leave them alive to fight another day.”

“What are you saying Sam?”

“I’m saying if it comes down to you or the mission, I’m always going to choose you.”

Root’s eyes water and she’s not sure what to say.  She never expected this type of honesty from Shaw.  In fact, she never thought Shaw’d feel this way at all.  “Sameen…”

“Don’t get all mushy on me.  It’s just a fact.  Anyway I have to go.  Come find me in a couple of days so I can check on your bandages.”  She leaves quickly, not wanting any kind of emotional scene with Root.  She only told her the truth because maybe it will make her think twice before risking herself needlessly.

 

* * *

 

Finch’s sitting across from the campaign office when Shaw finds him.

He’s a bit startled and a bit confused.  “Ms. Shaw.”

“Finch.  I found Root.  She’s okay; no thanks to you.”  Finch is taken aback and somewhat speechless.  “I’m sick of your double standards.  Root’s just as important as any member of this team.  You either start acting like it or I’m gone.”  She doesn’t wait for him to respond and walks away.

Finch is startled again a few minutes later when Root finds him.    


End file.
